Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars
by The Insulting Detective
Summary: When Sherlock is accused of a string of murders, the Baker Street Irregulars fight to prove his innocence. But what happens when their own members begin to go missing from the streets of London?


_Synopsis: When Sherlock is accused of a string of murders, the Baker Street Irregulars fight to prove his innocence. But what happens when their own members begin to go missing from the streets of London? _

**Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars**

Trainers pounded the meticulously clean streets of Ivor Place. Lungs heaved, trying to force as much of the musty air into their overworked, deflated selves as possible. Rain bulleted against bare skin, icy cold, stinging the skin it touched to a pinkish red colour. Large puddles splashed, as feet moved through them, soaking the jeans of the owner.

Ignoring the pouring rain that was pounding his head and the droplets of water that fell into his eyes, the boy ran as fast as he could on the slick cobblestone street. Three of his friends, a blonde girl of seventeen, a brunette haired boy of thirteen, and a reddish brown curly haired girl of ten, struggled to keep up with him, their backs carrying hefty backpacks made heavier by rain water, weighing them down. He looked behind him before turning sharply onto Glentworth Street, stopping only to make sure his friends followed him, before he took off again.

"Oi! You thieving lot, get back here!" There was a clang on the street, and the boy had to dodge to the left in order not to get hit with a stainless steel frying pan. The man that had been chasing them since Rossmore Road, was now about half a block behind them huffing, his cheeks red with exertion as he attempted to catch up with the children.

The boy closed his eyes, and kept pushing himself further, only slowing down to grab the smallest of his companions and placing her on his back, she was only slowing them down. "This way, Jake!" The blonde to his right hissed before jumping on a ladder that lead to the second floor of an abandoned factory.

The black haired boy grabbed the handles and propelled himself up, "Amy, hold on tight!" He warned to the small girl on his back, as he ran up the ladder. He winced when his foot slipped, and he hit his ribs against the rusted spokes of the ladder, but continued on. Jumping onto the second landing he followed the blonde up another set of ladders until they reached the roof. They coughed, shaking rain water out of their faces and hair as they looked down towards the sidewalk. Seeing no sign of the man that had been following, they slumped to the floor in relief.

"Hey, where is Artemis?" Amy slid down Jake's back and looked around curiously, a finger on her chin as she looked around her.

"I didn't see him follow us up the ladder, but I assumed he was behind you." The blonde next to Jake frowned, her head cocking to the side.

"You can't just assume things like that, Erin!" Jake snapped as he ripped his backpack off his shoulders and placed it on the floor in front of him.

"Erm, guys?" Amy said quietly, her hands on the ledge as she looked down some thirty feet away from the bickering teenagers.

"Well he was behind _you_, so if anyone should know where Artemis is, it is you, Jacob!" Erin pushed her long blonde hair out of her face as she glared at the boy beside her.

"Don't call me that!" Jake snapped, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

"OI! I found Artemis!" Amy screamed at the top of her lungs, her face red as she glowered at the two teens in front of her.

Both teens blinked at her, "all you had to do was say so, Amy. You didn't have to yell." Erin said, sniffing slightly. "Ugh, I think I am getting a cold."

Jake shrugged his shoulders, and picked up his bag. "Where is he, Amy?" He walked up to where Amy was standing beside the ledge of the building and peered down into the shadowy depths below. "How can you see anything? It is pitch black down there."

Amy raised her eyebrows, and handed him the small portable handheld transceiver. "I heard shuffling from below, so I turned on the transceiver to see if I could pick up anything. It reacted when I tuned it to our station. The crunching I heard coming from below was coming through from the transceiver as well. Unless any of the other BSI's are here, it has to be Artemis." Amy coughed shaking more rain water from her face, her breaths coming out in a wheeze.

Jake pressed a hand to her forehead, frowning as he felt heat radiating off it. "Erin, Amy has a fever. Let's get Artemis and then go back to the base. We need Dr. Watson to check her out."

Erin nodded, shaking her head as she sneezed. "Ja, let's get out of here." She went down the ladder first, a small portable flashlight gripped between her teeth.

"Be careful going down," Jake called as he picked up Amy, and situated her comfortably on his back. "It's pretty slippery from the rain." Amy's hands tightened around his neck, and she hid her face in his curly black hair, sighing at the warmth it provided.

Careful not to shake the small girl too much, Jake carefully made his way down the ladders towards the wet pavement. He landed neatly with a soft thud, and looked around blindly for Erin. "Erin?" He called uncertainly, his hand coming down to slip into his soaked jeans looking for his key chain. He pulled it out, and clicked on the small light on his chain, holding it above his head.

A rat ran passed him with an indignant squeak, soon followed by the smashing of a garbage can when a cat jumped out to chase it. "Erin?" He called again, his voice coming out harsher than he had meant it to.

"Jake, over here!" Jake blindly moved forward, following the sound of Erin's voice. Jake stopped, his eyes catching flickers of light to his right. A blink of light, followed by a longer held light, followed by a blink.

"R," Jake muttered to himself, pulling Amy closer to his body. Two short blinks of light followed by a long held light. "U," a long light, followed by a small blink. "N. Run?"

Erin's pained scream filled the alleyway, causing the hairs to stand up on the back of Jake's neck. Amy pushed herself off of Jake's back and ran towards the noise. "Erin!" Amy cried, falling back at Jake's strong hold at the back of her collar, "Amy, get Sherlock! I'll take care of Erin." Amy sniffled and stared towards where Erin's screams where becoming louder. "Amy, go!"

The girl cast one last weary look towards the screams before taking off out of the alleyway towards Baker Street. Jake dropped his bag and ran towards Erin's screams, "Erin!"

He turned the corner, stopping short, his breath catching in his throat. "Moran!" He growled, his hands clutching into fists. Sebastian Moran merely leered at the boy from his spot behind Erin, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist, and a knife at her throat.

Jake looked down and had to choke back a sob, Artemis was laying about a meter from him, still and sickly pale against the glittery wet surface of the pavement. Blood covered his face and seemed to soak into his clothes. "You aren't going to get away with this," Jake snapped, his eyes slipping back up to Moran's. He allowed his eyes to fall into Erin's and he widened his eyes slightly, letting her know that she would be okay. They stared at each other, silently communicating. Jake's eyes moved slightly to the left, before meeting Moran's again. "What do you want?"

"To send a message." Moran said simply, his grip tightening on Erin's waist, making her flinch.

"And what might that be?" Came a dark, cold voice from behind Moran.

"Sherlock!" Erin cheered, her voice catching in her throat when Moran pressed the knife harder to her throat, slicing her neck slightly.

Jake caught Sherlock's eyes over Moran's shoulder and nodded slightly to Erin. "Now!" Moran was hit in the back of the head, giving Erin enough time to slam her heel into the side of his knee, and elbow him in the chest. Moran dropped the knife, and Erin kicked it towards Jake, who picked it up, and flung it as far as he could down the other side of the alleyway.

Jake ran forward to help Sherlock with Moran, while Erin ran towards Artemis, falling unceremoniously at his side. She pressed her hand against his neck to began to look for his pulse, her other hand gently gripping his small wrist. It was faint, so faint that she almost missed it, but there. She gave a sigh of relief, shaking her head. "Artemis is alive!

Lights from police cars about a block away from them began to flash through the alleyway, alerting them. Moran pushed Jake into Sherlock and jumped one of the fire escape ladders, to the second floor of the building.

Sherlock gently pushed Jake off him before jumping the ladder to go after Moran. "Stop!" Moran called, causing Sherlock to pause in his upward descent and look up curiously, "I wouldn't follow if you want those children to stay alive." Sherlock's head turned to where Jake was lifting Artemis up in his arms, and Erin was crouched beside them, red dots shining eerily on their foreheads.

Jake stood, clutching Artemis' still body to his own with Erin beside him, her hand twisting in his rain soaked shirt. They seemed to be holding their breaths, as they stared into Sherlock's eyes. Sherlock closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly. "What is the message?" He asked through gritted teeth, his eyes turning back to the shivering children on the ground below him.

_In the deep dark depths of London,_

_Are the things that you rely on most._

_1, 2, 3, they go away,_

_But that is the least of your woes._

_It starts with a body,_

_And ends with the clock._

_So you better run, you better hide,_

_For it is no longer safe where you reside._

"What the hell does that mean?" Sherlock snapped, a scowl passing his face as he looked up towards where Moran was. Only he was no longer there. Sherlock growled and looked down to see that the children no longer had the red dots on their foreheads. He jumped down the ladder, and ran a hand through his hair irritably, his breath coming out harshly through his nostrils.

"Sherlock!" The small group turned to see John running down the darkened alleyway, flashlight firmly in his hands. John stopped in front of Sherlock, his hands on his knees. "I found Jake's backpack on the floor around the corner."

"That's fine," Sherlock muttered, his arms crossing in front of his chest. He cast a long look at Artemis, before shaking his head. "Is there an ambulance?"

"Just around the corner," Jake caught Sherlock's eye, nodding at the silent question he saw there. He shifted Artemis in his arms and ran out of the alleyway, Erin grabbed her bag, and Artemis' and ran after her friend, her blonde hair flying behind her. John watched as the two teens ran out of sight before turning to his friend. "What happened here?"

"Moran happened, or more specifically Moriarty." John raised his eyebrows, his head cocking to the side.

"What is he up to this time?"

Sherlock pulled his fingers through his curly hair and shook them in the air. "I don't know! He gave me this bloody riddle, and I can't make heads or tails of it!" Sherlock walked towards the entrance of the alley, John right behind him, his short legs having to push harder than usual in order for him to catch up with his tall friend.

"What is the riddle?" John asked, kneeling down to pick up Jake's bag. He slung it over his shoulder, shoving his hands into his semi wet jeans.

Sherlock repeated it to John, and the light haired man paused for a moment in thought. "Well, _it's not safe where you reside,_ could mean Baker Street. Maybe something is planted there?"

Sherlock shook his head, "Moriarty wants us to win, but he wouldn't make it this obvious."

"Or perhaps he did, because he knows that you would automatically dismiss the simplest explanation."

"Please, John, don't be so dull."

"Okay, so what about the first part? '_In the deep dark recesses of London,_ a_re the things that you rely on most.'_ ?"

"He could mean literally, which would point us to the Homeless Network, but they aren't what I rely on the most. I rely on them at times, but merely to speed up a case, nothing more."

"Perhaps he means Mycroft?" John asked thoughtfully, shrugging when Sherlock gave him a disdained look. "What?" John said defensively, "deep dark recesses could refer to Mycroft, he is imbedded pretty deep in the British Government, and you do rely on him for almost everything."

"Don't be ridiculous, John. I do not rely on my brother for everything."

"You rely on him to give you large amounts of money at any given time. His ID to get you into secret government bases, his cameras to search out all possible angles in crime scenes. His records in order to get information on people, his power to you keep out of jail… I could keep going if you wish."

Sherlock blew his hair from his eyes, glaring at the police cars that lined the block.

"I warned you! I told you he was bloody insane, now look what's happened! He's gotten a child injured with his recklessness!"

"Do shut up, Anderson. Those children have it hard enough without you lowering their IQ's as well." Sherlock pushed passed the black haired forensic scientist, his eyes trained on Artemis who was weakly moving on a pale white stretcher. Sherlock stood beside the stretcher and looked down at the pale boy, his face stoic as he studied Artemis. "Why hasn't he been brought to a hospital?" Sherlock snapped at the two EMTs taking bandages and first aid kits out of the ambulance.

"We need permission from one of his parent's in order to take him, Sir."

Jake, and Erin sat on the large silver nonslip step on the back of the ambulance, their hands on the stretcher Artemis was laying on, eyeing the conversation between the two adults wearily. John flashed his hospital badge and took the first aid kit from the EMT closest to him. "Erin, look up Love." She twisted a bit, and leaned her head back against Jake's shoulder exposing her neck. He studied the cut, pushing her blonde strands back from her neck. Lightly he cleaned the cut, and made soothing sounds when Erin whimpered from the burning of the anti-inflammatory liquid.

"Well hand me the papers then," Sherlock snapped, his hand held out for the small clip board with the papers.

"Are you his legal guardian?" The EMT asked suspiciously.

"Obviously," Sherlock sneered, snatching the paperwork from the man and scribbling his signature on the bottom of the document. He threw the board back to the man, and turned his back to the ambulance. Sherlock leaned over, and pressed his hand lightly against the boy's neck, feeling his pulse.

Artemis scrunched up his face at the contact, his eyes fluttering open. "Uncle… Sherlock?

Sherlock leaned down, and pulled the sheet around the boy's waist up to his chest. He laid a cool hand against the boy's forehead, patting the bloody strands away. "Yes, Artemis?"

"I'm sorry," his face twisted, and hot tears began to pour down his cheeks.

"Don't be an idiot," Sherlock , his hand swiping across the boys soft cheeks. He looked to the EMT's and stepped away from the stretcher, motioning for Jake and Erin to get up from their place on the ambulance. Artemis threw a panicked look towards Sherlock, his small hand stretching out to cling onto Sherlock's coat.

"Sherlock!" John chastised, shaking his head at his friend. He stood and examined his work on Erin's neck, nodding approvingly.

"Uncle, don't leave me!" Sherlock took his hand and squeezed it, before placing it back on the stretcher.

"I'm coming, I just need to tell Jake and Erin something," Sherlock smiled, and turned facing the two teens that were standing beside John. "I need you two to go back to the base and look after Amy, make sure no one leaves the base. And no one is to enter unless it is Mycroft, Anthea, Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, John, or myself. Do you understand me?"

The two teens nodded their heads, "yes, Sir."

"Good, now go." Jake and Erin took their bags, and flung them over their shoulders. They waved goodbye to the police officers, and made their descent back to the base. "And stay off the main roads!" Sherlock called after them, shaking his head as they disappeared into the misty night.

"Hey, where did they go!? We need to question them!" Sally Donovan came up to them, her face contorted in anger.

"Where did who go, Sally?" Sherlock asked her, his hand on the handle of the ambulance. He hoisted himself in and sat at the edge so that he could face her.

"That boy and girl!"

Sherlock's eyes grew wide, "I haven't the foggiest about what you are talking about, Sally."

"You freak! You know exactly who I am talking about!" Donovan's hands clutched at her sides, her eyes burning holes into Sherlock's head.

"John, what is she speaking about?"

John merely shrugged his shoulders, "I haven't a clue, Sherlock. The only teen I see here is Artemis, and he is hardly going anywhere in this state." John climbed onto the ambulance step, "now shove over."

Sherlock moved more into the middle of the ambulance, and grinned, leaning over John he reached for the door. "If I were you I would get some rest, Sally. We both know how tiring it must be _cleaning _Anderson's _floors_. I could only imagine with how you are hallucinating." With a wink Sherlock slammed the ambulance door shut in the woman's blushing face.

John pressed his face into his hands, "it is getting harder and harder to keep these kids out of polices hands. Lestrade has been covering for us, but it won't be long before Donovan gets her claws into one of them. And honestly, there is only so much he can cover up. We are going to have a hell of a time getting Artemis out of the hospital."

"Don't be ridiculous, John." Sherlock said, his eyes on his phone as he texted, his long fingers gracefully flying over the screen.

"You aren't his legal guardian; as soon as they look him up in the data base they will see that." John leaned over, and pet Artemis' head soothingly.

"Not if you have anything to do with it," Sherlock responded, his eyes never leaving his phone.

"Pardon? What exactly is it that you expect me to do?"

"Log into your computer in the hospital and change a couple of names on his records is all. Put him under my guardianship, and place yourself and Mycroft as a next of kin." Sherlock looked up thoughtfully, his head cocking. "Actually, I am going to send you the list with all of the BSI names, you can put all of them under us."

"Are you bloody insane?" John hissed, leaning back in his seat. "I can't put all ten of those kids into our care! That would put a red alert through the system, which will put me under investigation and I could potentially lose my license!"

"Not if Mycroft has anything to say about it. He has a lot of money you know, it's part of the whole, being the British government. No one would question if he had a bunch of kids in his care."

"Yeah, maybe if they never met the guy," John muttered under his breath. "I, for one, would never believe him to have children. Adoptive or otherwise."

Sherlock shrugged, "and I would be inclined to agree with you. No moron in their right mind would hand a child to Mycroft, but not many have met Mycroft Holmes, and you can bet that those that did do not work in St. Barts."

"Molly works in St. Barts," John pointed out.

"Molly met Mycroft at a Christmas party, and they didn't even talk. She is hardly a judge of his character."

"Fine, but if anything happens be it on your head."

Sherlock smirked at his friend, "I wouldn't have it any other way John." He looked down at Artemis' pained face, the boy's hands gripping the sheet roughly in his fingers, causing Sherlock's expression to drop into thinly masked worry. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**AN: Thoughts?  
**


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